How do I unjam the bottom drawer?

Most base drawers in antique vanity boxes run on a simple spring mechanism. A brass pin drops down through the carcase to hold the drawer shut. Open the main lid and remove the top tray. Look for a brass button or a discreet hole near the back edge. Pressing that should release the catch and pop the drawer forward.

Can missing bottles be replaced?

Finding an exact match for a missing bottle is hard. Box makers used specific glass blanks for precise compartments. You can sometimes find loose bottles at fairs. Measure the compartment carefully before you buy.

My grandmother left me a large wooden dressing box with lots of empty slots, and I am wondering what kind of things would have originally been kept inside them?

A nineteenth-century dressing case held a standard set of grooming tools. The long, narrow slots at the front typically held a boot hook, a corkscrew, tweezers, and a nail file. Square compartments at the back housed cut-glass jars for tooth powder, pomade, and lip salve. Taller bottle sections held cologne and toilet water. The central tray usually had a specific recess for a pair of scissors and sometimes a silver-handled shaving brush.

The key is missing for the main lock on my brass-bound box, so is there a way to get a new one made that will actually work?

Many box locks from this period are standard lever locks, usually made by firms like Bramah or Chubb. If the lock face is stamped with a maker's name and a serial number, a specialist locksmith can sometimes cut a key to code. If it's an unmarked ward lock, a traditional restorer can take an impression of the internal mechanism using a blank key and some soot. They then file a brass blank by hand until it turns smoothly.

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Antique Vanity Boxes from the 19th Century

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Antique vanity boxes are fitted wooden cases, usually banded in brass, designed to securely hold crystal jars, silver-topped bottles, and grooming tools for travel or dressing table use.